By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews
COVID-19
The Brazil Ministry of Health reported Monday that the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Brazil rose to 234.
The capitals Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo have already registered cases of community transmission, when the source of the contamination is not identified. With this, the country enters a new phase of the Brazilian strategy, that of creating conditions to reduce the damage that the virus can cause to the population through prevention.
Currently, 2,064 suspected cases are monitored and another 1,624 have already been discarded.
Ministry of Health announced the release of R $ 432 million to the states to reinforce the contingency plan sent by the units of the federation to confront COVID-19. The resource will be sent throughout the week and can be used in assistance actions, including opening new beds or funding existing beds in states and municipalities.
In addition, the portfolio starts this Tuesday the distribution of 540 ICU beds to the 26 states and the Federal District, at the request of the state health secretaries. These beds are part of the 2,000 bed contracting package ICU, in preparation for assistance to patients, who present severity in the cases of COVID-19.
“This reinforcement in the SUS hospital network provides R $ 396 million for ICU leasing, and if all beds are used, R $ 260 million will be transferred to maintain the service for a period of six months. The measure is an emergency one ”, pointed out the national secretary of Specialized Attention, Francisco Figueiredo.
For the intensive care units to be installed, the states provide temporary physical spaces in the reference hospitals informed in the Contingency Plan of each one, in addition to guaranteeing the clinical team for the assistance. “By the end of the month, all 540 ICU beds will be available and functioning in the states. The other beds will be available according to the need ”, added the executive secretary of the Ministry of Health, João Gabbardo.
The flying ICUs are quick to install, without the need for further structural reforms. Just adjustments like electrical adequacy and gas piping are enough. Each 10-bed kit has eight pieces of equipment, ranging from microprocessed pulmonary ventilator to defibrillator / cadioverter with biphasic technology. The deadline for assembly is seven to 10 days.
Dengue fever
While COVID-19 gathers much attention in Brazil and around the world, in Brazil, dengue is doing it’s usual thing in the country.
From January 1 to March 7, Brazil registered 332,397 diagnoses of the disease, with 77 deaths.
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